NOTD - OPI If You Moust You Moust, Servin' Up Sparkle & Nails Inc Kensington Caviar Top Coat

This weekend has seen temperatures soar and the sun shine, what better to do than paint my nails in a bright summery pink and add some sparkle too?

 

My choice?

For the base colour I chose OPI 'If You Moust You Moust' from the OPI Mini Mouse Collection. I selected the beautiful glitter and holographic OPI 'Servin' Up Sparkle' from the Serena Williams Glam Slam England Collection to add some bling, and Nails Inc Kensington Caviar Top Coat for a shiny smooth finish.

 

Before - my nails need tlc but I'm still a novice nail painter with a tendancy to pick at any loose bits and neglect my cuticles...work in progress but they are still in pretty ok condition - two coats of the pink give great coverage and help to hide my sins away!

 

A couple of coats of the sparkle give some serious shine! The hex's are really easy to pick up and deposit on the nail without having to use excessive amounts of product.

 

I find that with glitter polishes more so than any other, a good top coat is essential. It keeps the nail feeling smooth and avoids catching on clothing etc. These pics show some serious shine in natural daylight and after a little tidy up with a cotton bud and some nail polish remover I loved the finished effect.

Update: Three days later and they still look as good as new. Pretty impressive considering I've had a night out and a day on the beach too. At over a week later, this polish combination was still flawless.

 

 

 

Sunny Days at Aberavon Beach

This weekend when temperatures have soared, me and the OH decided to spend some time on the beach. We're so lucky to live on the coast and although in many respects, our town lacks charm and finesse, the beach is rapidly becoming one of the best in the area.

 

With miles of promenade, a pier, play areas, a cafe, a new gelato shop, and landscaped gardens, it has something for everyone.

 

It's been a wonderful weekend which has seen us reminiscing about our childhoods on the sand, enjoying the early morning peace and tranquility as well as beating the crowds for a sought-after spot.

 

Here are some pics I've taken over the last few days:

 

 

The footprints in the sand are all mine - first ones on the beach on friday morning. Just as the tide was coming in.

 

 

Two ladies helped each other down the steps onto the sand to enjoy a paddle in the waves. It was really touching to see them supporting each other and taking their time to enjoy the early morning tranquility.

 

There's nothing like the warm sand between your toes to put a smile on your face!

 

 

 

 

Dredging the sand to remove left over packets and bottles.

 

 

Cafe Remos

 

 

A deluxe hot chocolate - marshmallows, cream and a flake.... mmmm!!!

 

 

And here's the OH popping our tent up for today's session in the sun.

 

 

 

A godsend as we've spent over 7 hrs on the sand today. It's helped to keep our drinks cool and proved a respite from the unforgiving sun! I wish I'd taken some shots of the crowds later in the day but sunbathing and splashing in the sea was priority (hee hee).

 

I've truely had an amazing weekend and am so thankful to have such beauty on our doorstep.

Review: Clinique Chubby Stick Intense - Curviest Caramel

You may already know I've got a lot of love for the Clinique Chubby Sticks but for those who didn't you can read my previous review here.

 

For the past few years I've been more inclined towards lip balms and butters compared to lipsticks, mainly because I find them more moisturising and with less tendency to bleed around the lips when eating/drinking/talking (or sometimes all three!)

 

Being the proud owner of quite a few of the standard chubby sticks, I've wanted to try the Intense version in order to make a comparison and explore the new shades for a while now, and so, at £16 I opted for Curviest Caramel.

Marketed on the Clinique.co.uk site as:

 

'NEW Chubby Stick Intense Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm delivers full coverage in 8 rich blod shades. Lips are immediately moisturized and left with a soft glossy finish in a bright intense colour.'

 

and described on Clinique.com as a product to:

 

'Tempt lips with a soft cushion of colour that's not quite sheer, not quite opaque - just the perfect happy medium. Loaded with mango and shea butters so lips feel comfortably soft and smooth.'

 

 

My thoughts...

 

I really wasn't expecting it to be much different from the standard chubby sticks, however the colour pay off is a lot stronger and you need fewer coats to get the desired shade. The product feels heavier when applied but without the stickiness you get with a standard gloss. It feels moisturising and smooth and lasts ages.

 

I love this shade against my pale skin. Being a girl who goes for strong eyes/nude lips it's going to look great for my next night out. I'll try to pop a pic or two on of the stick in situ but until then, here's a quick lip pic.

 



 

So, what do you think?

 

Are you a fan of the Clinique Chubby Sticks and if so, which shade is your favourite?

 

Thanks for reading....

 

x Gem

 

Secret Beauty Junkies.... Freebie Challenge!

Over the past couple of months I've been participating in a fantastic challenge through a facebook group I'm a member of.... Secret Beauty Junkies! 

 

'What did the challenge involve?' I hear you ask. Good question. The aim was to gather as many items as possible for free, which you would then send to a designated person (I was paired with the lovely Debra). The items had to be new and not paid for using money (cash/card etc) but the rest was down to the 'freebie finder'.

 

I used a number of methods to gather goodies for Debra: 3 for 2 purchases where the free gift was passed on, loyalty points (Superdrug, Boots, Shopcade), GWP items, Magazine freebies, Sample giveaways, Prize wins, gift items I'd received but wouldn't make use of myself, Clubcard coupons, In store money off vouchers ie tea bags (I had a 50p off voucher for Twinings I'd used to purchase some individually wrapped bags - worked out 50p worth and popped these aside for the swap box), Complimentary Hotel minis...... you get the drift huh?

 

It's been a pretty insightful experience - there really is so much you can get for free when setting your mind to it. I've always loved sourcing a bargain (you may have noticed this from a few other posts) and love getting something for nothing. The main difference this time being the freebies were for someone else.

 

Here are a few pics of the items I received from Debra just yesterday....

 

So many gorgeous goodies - far too many to list! From sample sachets of skincare and makeup, cosmetics, toothpastes, coupons, tea and coffee, bubble bath, a waxing kit, a bracelet, and a Yankee Candle wax tart to some lovely pet food pouches for my gorgeous cat Shange!

 

 

 

Debra and I messaged each other a few times both before and during the collection period to try to make sure the items sent would be suitable and enjoyed.

 

I was so happy to receive my side of the swap and am sure I'll use all of the items, in fact, I've already used some of the tea bags and bubble bath!! Shange was thrilled with her Gourmet pouch (she'd previously only eaten Felix and most recently Whiskas) and may have chosen a new favourite... bizarrely my OH has decided that the little gold fork that came with it is now his - he wants it for his olives and pickled onions so there'll even be some recycling going on!

 

Of the swaps I've seen taking place through the group, everyone who participated has enjoyed. The variety of products gathered has been immense and stands testiment to how a little research, bargain spotting and sometimes, a cheeky request can prove fruitful and rewarding.

 

I can't wait to do it all again!

 

Have any of you completed a similar challenge?

 

Would you do it again?

 

 

Review: Shiseido Perfect Rouge Lipstick - Tourmaline 307

I usually favour glosses over lipsticks but I've recently found a few lippys that are quickly becoming favourites,  one of which is the Shiseido Perfect Rouge Lipstick in shade PK307 Tourmaline.

 

Priced at £22 for the full sized 4g lipstick it's definitely one in the higher price bracket although I'm now the proud owner of the mini version (and a beautiful eyeshadow palette) thanks to the lovely Katie C via Beauty Box Swappers (a facebook group dedicated to bargain hunting and swapping unwanted beauty items).

Described on the website as: 'Rich vibrant color that envelops your lips with just one lustrous coat. The creamy texture with nurturing ingredients improves the lips' condition with regular use.'

 

It feels smooth, buttery and moisturising without being too shiny. This shade looks great with a smokey eye or just a splash of colour and needs just one coat for an even coverage.

 

It's been my go-to lippy for the past two weeks and is one I'm going to definitely repurchase in the near future. In fact, I'm just about stopping myself from pressing the dreaded 'checkout' button on feelunique.com .... but, payday is just around the corner!

 

What do you think? Is this a shade you'd go for or have you tried others from the brand?

 

x Gem

 

 

 

 

 

Haul: Bath & Unwind

Mr Delivery Man has just been and dropped off an eagerly awaited package from Bath & Unwind. Late last week I got an email notifying me of a deal just too good to miss.... spend £70 across the site and get a free sample pack worth £130 using code YOUBEAUTY !! (It's pictured below on the left - all contained inside a lovely Caudalie toiletry bag)

 

Here's a little peak at some of the items I treated myself to in order to meet the threshold...

 

 

The Balm Hot Mama! (£13.50) - The shade looked great for my pale skin and I've been wanting to try something from this brand for a while. Love the cute,vintage style design on the packaging and it's a good shape for popping into a handbag.

 

 

Lolia Sea Salt Sachets (£13 each) - These are a real treat and admittedly pricey. As soon as the box was opened I could smell the scent coming through - just gorgeous! I chose the product in 'Imagine' (pink) and 'Wish' (blue), and until I decide to use them, they'll be popped into my drawers to make the most of the wonderful fragrance. The fabric cases will definitely get reused, along with the cute little jewel decorations.

 

 

Nougat London Bath Truffle (£3 each - I bought three) - I'd purchased these before and  the Fig & Pink Cedar fragrance is my favourite. These let out such a wonderful scent and are filled with relaxing and moisturising oils which leave your tub smelling gorgeous and your skin feeling fab. (You can also  take advantage of an additional offer at the moment too - a choice of two Eau De Toilette samples with any Nougat London order.)

 

I also picked up some cute Cath Kidston wash mitts which are going into birthday boxes for friends/family, and a Rituals Sakura Scrub (which I'll review seperately at some point).

 

But, on to what you've been waiting for... the freebies!

 

 

The bag was packed to the brim and full of some generous sized samples as well as smaller sachets from so many different brands. I'll definitely be popping some of these into my suitcase in a few weeks and am looking forward to finding some new favourites amongst them.

 

If only all companies could provide such a fab incentive - a really good way of introducing you to the brands available through the site and tempting you into a further purchase. What's more, you also get to accumulate points with every order which can be redeemed for money off future orders.... even better!

 

Did any of you also take advantage of this offer?

 

What are your thoughts?

Review: Tropical Waters Bath Bomb from Marshmallow Blends

I've written a couple of reviews on products I've purchased from Nicoletta at Marshmallow Blends previously and am so happy to've discovered the brand. Nicoletta makes all of her products at home by hand and is constantly thinking up new and exciting things to make for all pamper-lovers out there!

 

As part of my most recent order I purchased a few of the Tub Treats - one of which was the Tropical Waters Bath Bomb priced at £2.75 and described as 'a holiday in the bath tub (which) transforms your water to a tropical retreat, with crystal blue waters and a fragrant burst of passionfruit and coconut.'

 

This beautiful blue bath bomb arrived wrapped in selophane with a lovely little tag tied by ribbon. I could smell the coconut scent as soon as the box arrived and couldn't wait to jump in the tub. I split this into two as it was a generous size, meaning not one, but two trips to paradise ... plus it left the bathroom scented in the mean time too.

 

It wizzed around the tub and didn't leave any powdery bits behind. It turned the water a beautiful and clear shade of blue, leaving it feeling soft and smelling divine.

 

This one is definitely on my list to repurchase!